GDP, population and labour market statistics 1949 to 2025

FOI reference: FOI-2025-3247

You asked

I would like to request the following information:

• Total domestic output (GDP) for the whole of the UK, relative to the statistical baseline, for the years 1949-2025, by quarter or smallest available period. I am requesting a number for the total economic output rather than figures for growth.
• Total UK population, for the years 1949-2025, by quarter or the smallest available period.
• Total number of adults of working age resident in the UK, for the years 1949-2025, by quarter or the smallest available period.
• Total number of employed adults in the UK, for the years 1949-2025, by quarter or the smallest available period.
• Total number of adults registered as self-employed in the UK, for the years 1949-2025, by quarter or the smallest available period.
• Total number of unemployed adults of working age resident in the UK, by number, for the years 1949-2025, by quarter or the smallest available period. I would like the actual number, rather than the percentage of the working-age population.

We said

Thank you for your request regarding UK GDP, Population and Labour Market statistics. 

We have responded to each topic of your request below. 

GDP

Please find GDP figures held in scope of your request in the associated download spreadsheet.

Population

The most suitable data we can provide is from the Census. A census has been carried out every 10 with the exception of 1941 due to the Second World War. Please see the associated download spreadsheet showing the population of Great Britain from 1801 – 2021.  

You may also find our population estimates of interest.   

Please see Population Estimates 1951 – 2014 and data from 1981 – 2024. 

There are differences between the census and population estimates. The key distinction lies in how each is produced: 

• Census figures are based on a nationwide count conducted every 10 years, providing a snapshot of the population on Census Day. They are considered highly accurate because they rely on direct responses, though some undercounting or overcounting can occur. 

• ONS population estimates are updated annually using the last census as a baseline. These estimates incorporate births, deaths, and migration data from administrative sources and statistical models. As a result, they are not exact counts but informed estimates.

Labour Market

We estimate the number of people in different labour market statuses from the Labour Force Survey (LFS), based on interviews with people resident in households in the UK.  

The LFS was first conducted in 1971, with our timeseries for employment and unemployment starting from that time. The LFS questionnaire was subsequently expanded, with questions on self-employment starting from 1992.  

The number of people in employment, along with the number of people who are unemployed, are published each month in our table on Employment, unemployment and economic inactivity for people aged 16 and over and aged from 16 to 64. This table includes the full back series to 1971.  

The number of people in employment who identify themselves as being self-employed is published each month in our table on Full-time, part-time and temporary workers. This table includes the full back series to 1992.